Surprisingly solid strategy RPG with a great deal of depth
Devil Survivor was something of an impulse purchase for me, and surprisingly, it's a purchase that really paid off. Devil Survivor is an RPG with turn-based strategy elements, and has a lot to offer gamers with its depth and replayability.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Devil Survivor is pretty much a meat-and-potatoes game when it comes to graphics. There aren't any flashy effects or cutscenes, but what's here is solid. The character portraits are well drawn, the menus and combat screens are easy on the eyes, and the varied demons look good, if unspectacular.
Sound is sparse, but the J-pop music won't drive you nuts and fits the game world perfectly. The sound effects are decent to good. I'd have liked a few more sound effects during the game's lengthy and numerous conversations and exploration pieces, but what's here stands out well.
GAMEPLAY
There's a hell of a lot to like in the gameplay department. The blend of strategy grid-based elements with old-school RPG fighting is a fantastic blend. The game is hard as nails sometimes, but the almost-necessary level grinding never really feels like a chore. With the right team of tamers and demons, most conflicts can be overcome by repeating a few free battles.
Fans of the Persona series will be pleased to know there are a wide variety of demons to summon and fuse for your own uses. I've finished the game and still have yet to uncover everything there is to the demon skills and abilities. This encourages a repeat play. And speaking of replayability, there are numerous paths and conversations the player can follow throughout the game, but it appears to be impossible to track them all in one playthrough. It might sound like a cheap tactic to enhance the game's length, but honestly, I thought it fit well with the game's story. Instead of looking at another playthrough as a grind, I'm genuinely interested and excited to see what I missed.
OVERALL
Devil Survivor seems like it should be a niche game, but I strongly recommend it to any fans of RPG's or strategy RPG's. It's a well-crafted, rewarding game that will challenge players. It's one of my favorite games on the DS to date, and I'm looking forward to another playthrough.
